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WtA Rites
What Rites Are Rites are the ceremonies and rituals that the shifters use to form and reinforce the spiritual and social ties that bind the Nation to each other and to Gaia herself. The common bond formed by rites resonates in the souls of the Garou and the Fera. Many shifting breeds maintain that without the continuous practice of rites, they would lose their ties to the Umbrood. In so doing, they may become something less than their true selves, possibly reverting to simple animals and humans instead of Gaia's chosen. Rites Fulfill The Pact The special ties that shifters have with the spirit world allow rites to function. The Garou invoke these bonds with Gaia's spirits when performing rites. In the Dawntimes, shapeshifters struck a great pact - The Pact - with the spirits of Gaia. In return for the shapeshifters' fealty and service, the spirits would empower the werebeasts' rites, flooding them with supernatural power. For this reason, nobody but a shapeshifter can perform these rites and expect them to work. Sorcerers and mages might have their own shamanic or hermetic rituals that provide similar benefit, but the most spirits will not answer any call if they are not bound to do so. The relationship formed by WtA gifts and rituals are unique to the Garou and the Fera. The performance of these rites are their sacred right and privilege due to The Pact, but in these End Times, more and more young shifters are not having the kind of training and experiences as cliaths that lead them into deep communion with the Umbrood. Elders are eagerly seeking those with spiritual affinity to teach their lore and rituals to, to ensure that the knowledge is not lost and The Pact itself is not severed. Some Garou view the inclusion of the Fera into the Nation as the opportunity to finally heal some of the damage of the War of Rage-- and since the emergence of the Red Star in 1999, Garou have been able to teach and learn Fera rituals, but it is still an uncommon practice {Dusk post-cannon metaplot}. Rites Cement The Nation Through rites, Garou weave the social, emotional and religious fabric connecting werewolf to werewolf, pack to pack and tribe to tribe. When Silver Fang meets Black Fury or Silent Stricter meets Glass Walker, the rites of their ancestors give them common ground on which to tread. Even the simple Rite of Contrition has prevented many meetings between werewolves of different tribes and packs from erupting in argument and violence. Rites also allow tribes and packs the freedom to define themselves and to develop their unique roles in Gaia's defense. Often tribes, and many individual septs, have their own rites and their own versions of common rites. The raucous, howling tumult of the Fianna's Rite of Spirit Awakening has little external similarity to the Shadow Lords' dark and brooding rite of the same name, yet the essence and purpose of the two rites are the same. Types of Rites Rites have both religious and magical connotations, and they serve both social and mystical purposes. Most rites can be performed in either the Umbra or the physical world. When teaching rites to young pups, Garou may group them by the purpose each type of rite serves for the Garou and for Gaia. Rites of accord, caern rites, rites of death, mystic rites, rites of punishment, rites of renown, seasonal rites and minor rites are the most common types of rites that Garou practice. The basic requirements for each of these types of rites must be fulfilled to perform any of these rites successfully. Learning Rites A Shifter has the potential to learn any rite- all she must do is find a teacher. A shifter's auspice (or breed equivalent) usually determines the rites she is expected to learn. In Dusk, there are a group of basic rites '''that all shifters can obtain for simply starting the game with rituals one/rank one. These basic rites are assumed to have been taught right before or after the Rite of Passage was performed. Most elder shifters and theurges of any rank are more than willing to teach rites in-game (which provides wisdom renown) or they can be learned off-panel unless marked as '''restricted. Restricted rites need ST approval (ask via email to imc.dusk@gmail.com). The Importance of The Rite of Passage Before a shifter has their beed equivalent of a rite of passage, they are not yet members of a tribe or The Nation. They do not have the benefits of The Pact nor the responsibilities assigned to their breed and auspice by the Celestines. Spirits might allow themselves to be seen and even opt to communicate and teach, but these "cubs" cannot successfully call upon rites or use gifts even if they learned the basic forms. The spirits will not acknowledge the character in the necessary ways until after their Rite of Passage. Garou who go ronin, and even Spirals who survive Erebus and become ronin do not lose knowledge of rites they have learned, but in Dusk, most spirits will not respond favorably to them and most rites fail to work. Garou who lose rank also lose the ability to successfully use gifts that the Umbrood sees fit for higher ranks, but they do not lose their rites unless something extraordinarily bad happens to cause them to lose their rituals ability (amnesia, curses, etc.). Ronin had the same zero rank as cubs. They lose all gifts and can only learn new rituals and use them rituals at a + 2 difficulty, never to exceed 10. Spirals who go to Erebus lose all gifts, but keep rituals learned and can be taught minor rites such as Breath of Gaia by members of the Nation as part of the training to becoming a true Gaian at a case-by-case basis, requiring ST approval and roleplay support. Enacting A Rite ---- Rite-masters generally lead groups of Garou in the performance of rites. These rites are grand ceremonies usually held at caems with much tradition and socializing going along with them. It is the nature of rites to be social affairs. Most rites require the presence of at least three Garou, although a lone werewolf may conduct certain minor rites and mystic rites. Many older septs frown on the practice of performing rites away from the group. Rites require great concentration and skill on the part of the celebrant. A rite takes a minimum of 10 minutes per level to cast, while minor rites take from two to five minutes to enact. Rites almost always require some form of trinket or special material. The general requirements for particular categories of rites are detailed in the following lists. It is the responsibility of the rite-master to ensure that all the requirements are met and that all Garou present participate fully in the rite. The player or Storyteller should roll to determine the success of the rite. The exact nature and difficulty of the roll will vary with each rite. Storytellers may decrease the difficulty of a roll if the rite-master and participating characters enact the rite particularly well (i.e., if the players roleplay it well). For every five Garou beyond the base number required (again, usually three) who are present and helping perform the rite to the best of their ability (in addition to the rite-master), the difficulty level of the rite decreases by one (to a minimum difficulty of 3). Rites are considered to be a natural way of affecting the natural order. They are part of how things work. Werewolves believe that if a rite is performed properly, the effect will occur naturally, just as a scientist would follow cause and effect. If you drop a rock, it will fall; if you perform a rite as it was handed down to you by your ancestor's ancestors, then the desired effect will occur. However, some rites do require Gnosis. These rites are particularly powerful breaches of the natural order. Learning A Rite ---- The tribal elders who teach rites were themselves taught by their elders, who were taught by their elders, and so on back through the ages. In order to gain the knowledge (and tacit permission) to perform a rite, a young werewolf must approach an elder who possesses such knowledge. In the vast majority of cases, the elder will request payment (in the form of talens) from the young whelp in question. The number of talens required varies with the amount of teaching needed (level of the rite) and the elder's opinion of the cub (comparative rank and roleplaying) . Elders will often allow the young Garou to do a favor instead of (or in addition to) donating talens. Such favors may range from providing the elder with fresh rabbit meat and caviar for three full moons to tracking down a minor enemy of the elder's and tearing out his throat. In any event, the favor asked is normally proportionate to the power and importance of the rite the young wolf wishes to master. Learning a rite is an extended action. A Garou must have a Rituals Knowledge at least equal to the level of the rite she wishes to learn; a character with Rituals 3 cannot master a Level Four rite. She must also spend time — at least one week per level of the rite she wishes to learn (three days for minor rites) — with the elder who knows the rite. The player must roll Intelligence + Rituals (difficulty of 10 minus Intelligence). The number of successes required equals the level of the rite. The student may make one roll per period of teaching ( one week for a Level One rite, three weeks for a Level Three rite, etc.). If the student fails a roll, she must spend a Willpower point to continue her studies. If she botches a roll, she is not yet ready to learn the knowledge she seeks. The character must wait at least three turnings of the moon, or until she has more life experience, to try again. A character can begin the game with knowledge of rites by purchasing the Rites Background. Subsequently, however, rites can be learned only through roleplaying; they may not be purchased with experience points. A character can attempt to enact a rite in which he has previously taken part, but which he does not know. Needless to say, he has little chance of success. The difficulty is three higher than normal, and the player must spend double the amount of Gnosis points if any are required. In addition, elder Garou often see such an attempt as impertinent or even sacrilegious. Attempting an unlearned rite in the presence of an elder may decrease the Garou's Honor or Wisdom in the eyes of his sept. Finally, it's possible - but obscenely difficult - to create new rites. Such a task is no small matter, as it involves convincing a great portion of the spirit world that a new rite is necessary, and that they must empower it whenever called to do so. Auspice Roles Not all Garou have a natural affinity for leading the Great Rites. Many are content to know some minor rites and a smattering of rites most significant in their own eyes. In fact, Garou traditionally view werewolves born under certain auspices as the rightful rite-masters of the tribes. In particular, Theurges and Philodox are groomed for such positions from the time that they first enter the sept as adolescent cubs. It is almost unheard of for a Garou of either auspice not to have at least some skill in the enactment of rites. In general, Theurges tend to learn mystic rites, seasonal rites and caern rites, while Philodox traditionally learn rites of accord and rites of punishment. This is not to say that Garou of all auspices do not learn rites, or even lead rites occasionally. Galliards are likely to lead rites of death and rites of renown. Ragabash and Ahroun may also learn and enact rites, although the sept is unlikely to encourage such behavior unless a particular reason comes up for such a Garou to lead a rite. For example, an Ahroun might lead his war party in a Rite of Wounding after a cub's first battle. It is wise to remember that individual packs are often ( but not always ) more flexible when interpreting such traditions, being more concerned with which pack-mate will best carry out a rite than with following every musty old tradition. Any Garou is allowed to learn a minor or mystic rite, regardless of auspice. Rites Chart + Basic Rites Package Minor Rites Rites of Accord Caern Rites Rites of Death Mystic Rites Rites of Punishment Rites of Renown Seasonal/Holiday Rites Custom Rites for Dusk return to main WtA page Category:Werewolf Category:rites